Redblacks lose game to Ticats, QB Trevor Harris to injury

The Redblacks quarterback was slammed to the ground by Tiger-Cats defensive lineman Davon Coleman six minutes into the third quarter of the Canadian Football League game at TD Place stadium. He went to the locker room and returned out of uniform with his right arm in a sling.

Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris, who was injured in the third quarter, walks off the field with his right arm in a sling following Saturday's game. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin TangJustin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Forget the 26-22 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. A much bigger concern for the Ottawa Redblacks is the health of Trevor Harris.

The Redblacks quarterback was slammed to the ground by Tiger-Cats defensive lineman Davon Coleman six minutes into the third quarter of the Canadian Football League game at TD Place stadium on Saturday night. He went to the locker room and returned out of uniform with his right arm in a sling.

Still, the injury may not be as bad as it looked Saturday night.

“We don’t know too much yet,” Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell said. “I know it’s not a season-ending thing or anything like that. (Sunday) will be a big day with how he wakes up and how he feels. We’re hoping it’s a shorter-term thing.

“Trevor’s a pretty tough guy. It takes a lot for him to come out of a football game. I know he got some decent news, so I know he’s feeling better about that, that it’s not something that will take him out for a long period of time, but we’ll see how he feels over the next couple of days.”

The game came down to the final minute. Deep in its own end, with Drew Tate quarterbacking, the Redblacks converted on one third-down gamble, but failed on another with 34 seconds remaining, allowing the Ticats to run out the clock.

After three consecutive victories, the Redblacks (4-7-1) stumbled out of the gate Saturday and a much-better effort in the second half wasn’t enough for Campbell or his players.

“We’re not looking for silver linings. My disappointment was our demeanour and our enthusiasm was what it needed to be in the second half,” Campbell said, “and, for whatever reason, it wasn’t there in the first half. I give Hamilton credit. They made enough plays to win the game. To win at this level of football, you have to have great urgency all the time to get it done for a full 60 minutes.”

“I can only speak defensively, but we came out flat,” Redblacks linebacker Taylor Reed said. “They punched us in our mouths. Unfortunately for us, we waited until the second half to do anything about it.”

The Ticats (2-8-0) took a lead just 3:22 into the game. After a 31-yard connection between QB Jeremiah Masoli and Jalen Saunders, C.J. Gable ran into the end zone from a yard out, and the convert made it 7-0.

They sliced their way down the field on their second possession, too, but settled for a 10-yard field goal by former Redblacks kicker Sergio Castillo.

When Redblacks kicker Brett Maher missed a 25-yard field-goal attempt, the booing began. It was 10-1 for the visitors.

A successful Hamilton challenge on Corey Tindal’s coverage of Brandon Banks led to a pass-interference penalty that put the ball just outside Ottawa’s 10-yard line. Gable later powered into the end-zone for another touchdown. Castillo converted that, too, and added a 23-yard field goal later to make it 20-1 for the visitors.

After a 31-yard diving catch by Brad Sinopoli, the Redblacks settled for a 38-yard field goal by Maher.

After the Redblacks took two roughing penalties on the same play, the Ticats got a 38-yard field goal. Ottawa got that back with a 42-yard field goal with 16 seconds left in the half, making it 23-7.

It didn’t take Ottawa long to get going in the second half. After 27-yard punt return by Diontae Spencer, Harris found Spencer with a 22-yard touchdown pass and Mossis Madu Jr. for the two-point convert.

The Ticats put together another good drive, with a nice 30-yard run by Gable leading eventually to Castillo’s 15-yard field goal.

After Harris was injured, his replacement, Drew Tate, threw an interception, but a coach’s challenge turned that into a pass-interference penalty against the Ticats. A well-thrown pass by Tate found Joshua Stangby in the end-zone for a touchdown, but the two-point convert attempt was fumbled.

A 37-yard pass play to Madu got the Redblacks into scoring position again, but Maher’s 44-yard field-goal attempt went wide left and produced only a single point. It was the final point of the game.

Before Harris was knocked out of the game, he completed 18 of 28 passes for 193 yards. In relief, Tate went 8-for-13 for 114 yards.

“There was enough time for us to come back,” Tate said. “We just couldn’t sprinkle enough magic dust on everyone to get the W. We didn’t make the plays to win the game.”

Masoli was a difference-maker for the Ticats, putting pressure on the Redblacks’ defence when he rolled out of the pocket.

“The X-Factor is Masoli,” Reed said. “He has a different play style than Zach Collaros. He’s great with his legs, more than Zach. The first half, we just did a bad job of containing him.”

Redblacks quarterback Trevor Harris gets tackled by the Tiger-Cats’ Davon Coleman during the first half of Saturday’s game. Another hit by Coleman injured Harris in the second half. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin TangJustin Tang /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

THE END AROUND: Ottawa got the ball to open the game and on their first offensive play tried some razzle-dazzle. Harris pitched the ball to Spencer, who pitched it to Stangby. It looked like Stangby was trying to pass it back across the field, but he was swarmed for an 11-yard loss … Asked before the game if he’d be talking to his former teammates, Redblacks defensive end Arnaud Gascon-Nadon said: “I just tell them I love ’em.”

The Redblacks’ Brad Sinopoloi (88) falls after making a reception as Tiger-Cats defender Emanuel Davis (20) looks on during the first half on Saturday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin TangJustin Tang /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli also gave the Ottawa defence fits with his running, rushing for 73 yards in Saturday’s game. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin TangJustin Tang /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

Drew Tate (5) throws a pass for the Redblacks after replacing injured starting QB Trevor Harris in the second half of Saturday’s contest against the Ticats. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin TangJustin Tang /
THE CANADIAN PRESS

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